Automobiles with folding or removable seats are well known in the art. Many motor vehicles, particularly sport utility vehicles and minivans, are equipped with rear seats that can be moved from a seating configuration, in which passengers can sit in the seat, to a so-called “load floor” configuration where the back support of the seat is folded downwardly to assume a horizontal orientation and thereby facilitate cargo stowage. Most folding seats require the operator to manually fold and unfold the seat. One disadvantage with manually folding and unfolding is the back support may be too heavy for all persons to operate safely. Another disadvantage with manually folding and unfolding is in some instances the folded back support is difficult to access and may require the operator to climb into the vehicle. It would be advantageous to provide a folding seat with an actuator for moving the seat to a folded downward position and back to a seating position automatically.